North Ossetian Human Rights Сommisioner urges local authorities to reopen torture case

Tamerlan Tsgoev, the North Ossetian Commissioner for Human Rights, has asked acting local prosecutor Maxim Shilin and head of the regional department of the Investigative Committee Valery Ustov and to reconsider the refusal to open a criminal case against officers of the Interior Ministry’s Centre for Combating Extremism (ССE). The case is related to the alleged torture and psychological pressure against Vladikavkaz resident Batraz Gogaev, who was accused of extortion.

Tsgoev wrote on Telegram that the verification of Gogaev’s victim statement had not been conducted properly.

Gogaev said he was detained in November 2024 by armed men in balaclavas, who took him outside of Vladikavkaz and subjected him to torture with electric shocks, demanding a confession to crimes he said he had not committed. After two hours of torture, he was handed over to CCE officers. Gogaev claims that he agreed to make the confession under duress, fearing for his life.

Despite these statements, the deputy prosecutor of the republic notified Gogaev that there were no violations, and the investigator refused to initiate criminal proceedings against the local authorities, citing the absence of the event of the offence.

Tsgoev noted that in making this decision, no CCTV footage was requested, no independent polygraph examinations were conducted. He also stated that the testimonies of eyewitnesses and explanations of the CСE management who communicated with Gogaev after his detention were ignored.

Tsgoev said he believes that the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case was unwarranted, as the circumstances of the case were investigated incompletely. He urged the local prosecutors to check the legality and validity of the refusal, to cancel the ruling, and to resume the investigation.

In North Ossetia, police officers have been repeatedly tried for torture. The most high-profile case was the murder of Vladimir Tskaev, who was detained in 2015 as a witness to an attack on a police officer. According to the investigation, Tskaev was beaten and strangled with plastic bags in an attempt to extract a confession. As a result of the torture, he lost consciousness and fell into a comatose state, after which he died in intensive care.

In 2021, the court sentenced the former police officers involved in the torture and death of Tskaev to various prison terms, ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 years.

According to North Ossetian media, 29-year-old Gogaev was detained for sharing an erotic video of a so-called ‘naked party’ in the North Ossetian village of Verkhny Fiagdon, whose participants had arranged a sexual orgy, on the internet. Gogaev then allegedly tracked down the people in the video and forced them to apologise. If they refused, he then tried to extort money from them.

Gogaev’s mother confirmed that her son was detained for these reasons. According to her, he held a ‘moral conversation’ with the participants of the orgy.

The ‘naked party’ took place in North Ossetia in mid-autumn 2024. It was a private party attended by locals and tourists. Gogaev’s video hit the web and caused a strong reaction among local residents.

Local activists have since demanded that the daily rental of houses in resort areas be allowed only on condition of a marriage stamp in passports.

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